Pilot Debrief

MANTELL ALLAN T LIGHTNING near Canandaigua, NY — 2022-06-21

Final reportERA22LA287
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Date
2022-06-21
Location
Canandaigua, NY, USA
Airport
IUA
Aircraft
MANTELL ALLAN T LIGHTNING
Registration
N51TM
Category
Airplane
Highest injury
Serious
Fatalities
0
Phase of flight
Landing

Probable cause

The pilot’s performance of an off-airport landing shortly after takeoff for reasons that could not be determined.

NTSB narrative

Shortly after takeoff, the experimental amateur-built airplane was seen by a witness near the accident site flying about 20 ft above a wheat field. The pilot performed an off-airport landing in the field, which resulted in the nose landing gear collapsing. The pilot sustained serious injuries, and his only recollections of the accident were that he thought the field was flat but encountered a bump during the landing and that he shut off the fuel selector after the accident. The pilot passed away more than 30 days after the accident. Postaccident examination of the airplane revealed an adequate supply of fuel in both fuel tanks with no contaminants found. No discrepancies were noted during a visual inspection of the engine compartment, but during an attempt to start the engine following activation of the auxiliary fuel pump, a fuel hose from the gascolator to the engine-driven fuel pump separated from the outlet fitting of the gascolator due to inadequate clamping force. The hose was re-installed onto the fitting, and the engine was started and found to operate normally at low power; a full-power engine run was not performed due to impact-damaged propeller blades. While the airplane designer reported that a loose fuel hose at the outlet of the gascolator could introduce air into the fuel supply, it could not be determined whether this condition existed prior to, or was a result of the impact, and the reason the pilot performed an off-airport landing shortly after takeoff could not be determined.

Analysis

Primary failure mode
Fuel management
First missed decision gate
Pilot could have checked fuel line connections before takeoff.

NTSB coding

Evidence available

  • ATC audio
  • Photos
  • 9 docket documents
View NTSB final reportView NTSB docket

Docket documents9

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